Barrows arrested after text message ends up in law enforcement's hands

Authorities arrested a Kalispell man on a drug distribution charge after he allegedly text messaged a criminal informant late last month offering to sell them methamphetamine.

Craig Barrows, 35, faces a single felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute following his Dec. 23 arrest. He is being held on a $100,000 bond ahead of his arraignment.

In an affidavit, Deputy Bobbie Noel of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office recounted reviewing a text message Barrows allegedly sent a source soliciting a possible methamphetamine sale. Barrows was “attempting to sell meth to anybody that was willing to buy,” Noel wrote.

She passed the information along to Darrell Vanderhoef, state probation and parole officer. Vanderhoef instructed any deputy that came across Barrows to detain him.

Noel crossed paths with Barrows about 3:55 p.m., according to the affidavit. As per a request from Vanderhoef, Noel searched Barrows and allegedly found a meth pipe.

A subsequent search of Barrows’ Chevy pickup truck turned up 3.5 grams of methamphetamine, bags and a scale, according to Noel’s account.